Erämaa

by Ulf Kvensler, Leena Virtanen (Translator)

Jopa erämaan armoilla ihminen on se jota on syytä pelätä eniten. Taitavasti kirjoitettu psykologinen trilleri poikkeaa muista ruotsalaisista jännäreistä: erämaa miljöönä vetää vertoja ihmismielen pimeydelle. Kolme ystävystä on jo monena vuonna käynyt yhdessä patikoimassa pohjoisen Ruotsin tunturimaisemissa. Kun Milena haluaa pyytää reissuun myös uuden poikaystävänsä, Anna ja Henrik eivät kehtaa sanoa ei. Jacob vaikuttaa hyvältä tyypiltä, Anna tosin ei pääse eroon ajatuksesta, että on tavannut tämän jossain aiemmin. Unelmien patikkaretkestä kehkeytyy pian painajainen – Jacobin mukaan ottaminen vaellukselle paljastuu päätökseksi, joka muuttaa kaikkien neljän elämän.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

490 pages, Hardcover

First published April 22, 2022

Reviews

[Kaceey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get your passport ready! We’re off to Sweden!

Anna and Henrik are set to rendezvous with their friend Milena for an annual hike. But this year everything is different.

For starters, Henrik is less than enthusiastic to go. Helplessly watching his academic career fade away, he can’t muster the motivation to train for the hike.

And Milena is bringing her boyfriend Jacob, who neither Anna or Henrik know.

When the two couples set off for their hike, Muriel’s new man suddenly commandeers the getaway and plots a new course. One that will require tremendous skill, adding even more danger to the hike. Question: Is everyone up for this? I think not!

As the hike begins and the altitude increases so does the tension between the couples. Is it too late to turn around before someone gets seriously hurt?

This was an atmospheric read, allowing me to just sit back and lose myself in the magical beauty of the Swedish mountainside.

I listened to the audio and Karen Cass did an amazing job of bringing the characters and storyline to life!

My only drawback was the ending. It left me confused and feeling like something was left out or possibly lost in translation. I needed more clarity and closure.

[Devi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wtf was that ending??? It was looking like a 3⭐ with a few good stressful moments until that ending.

[Frank Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely impressive debut about a hiking trip that turned deadly, leaving me reeling!! I'm STILL trying to gather my thoughts!

Two couples go on a hiking/camping trip in the North Swedish mountains, but not every one of them returns home!? Yes, please!! The premise for this novel had my attention instantly, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this debut Scandinavian thriller! While it was almost 400 pages long, it read much, much faster and I was on the last page before I knew it - that's what I call being captivated! What an impressive debut this one was!

Going into this novel, I didn't know what to expect, as it was undoubtedly translated from another language, and I hadn't had to most success with translated works. Fortunately, this one wasn't lacking - nothing felt lost in translation in this one! Within the first few pages, I picked up on tensions with one couple, and had my suspicions about the other. One character in particular got under my skin almost immediately, to the extent I wanted to reach through the pages and give him a good smack! Having an emotional reaction at the beginning of a novel is always a great sign of good things to come, and goodness was I correct! This was a perfectly executed atmospheric thriller, packed with a whole basketful of creepy and breathtaking scenes! As the trip progressed and the couples faced one adversity after the next the tension became ever so palpable and I was at the very edge of my seat in suspense of what would come next! Without spoiling anything, one particularly creepy and vivid scene depicted a character seemingly alone in her tent attempting to get to sleep only to discover that she had an unexpected and unwanted guest inside along with her, quietly watching her from the corner...it absolutely made the hair on the back of my neck stand up! Several incredibly high-stress scenes followed throughout, keeping me enthralled, let's just leave it at that! At one point I did feel as though I had a pretty good handle on where this was all headed and would end, but I found myself enduring one shock after the next, and eventually just resigned myself to not really having a clue, which was fantastic! Although this was mostly a survival thriller, there were definitely mystery, psychological suspense and possibly even unreliable narrator elements, making this much more than it would initially appear to be!

If I had to give one small critique about this one that kept it from being a 5-Star read would definitely be the ending - things just felt a bit unresolved, and I was left wanting clarity - was this in fact intentional, and will there be a continuation of this story??!! I hope so...in fact, I demand it! Now that Ulf Kvensler is on my radar I will definitely be keeping an eye out for any of his forthcoming work - I may just have found my new favorite Scandinavian author!!

[james · Rating 2 out of 5]

pretty pointless book. barely a thriller. just a bunch of characters who should have broken up with each other years ago or never started dating in the first place. also what was up with that epilogue. what was the point.

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my goals for 2023 is to read more books in Swedish/by Swedish authors. This was the first one i finished for the year. Interesting concept but when everything got into place by the end and the mystery got resolved it wasn't a great one in my opinion.

[Eline Van Der Meulen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het hoge noorden las ik mee voor de Thrillerleesclub op Instagram. Het boek was ook mijn keuze uit de drie geselecteerde opties, dus ik besloot al snel dus om mee te lezen. Het boek is ook meteen al een onderwerp naar mijn hart. Een locatie waar een groep vrienden naartoe gaat en waar de ene na de andere verdwijnt, vermoord wordt, dingen ontdekt over de anderen,… dergelijke onderwerpen zijn echt mijn favorieten als het over thrillers gaat. Ook bij Het hoge noorden was dit het geval. Alleen is de vriendengroep nu uitgebreid met een extra lid, nl. Jacob de nieuwe vriend van Milena. Henrik en Anna gingen al langer met drie op pad en nemen steevast dezelfde regio, maar al snel komt Jacob met andere plannen naar voren. Al snel loopt het verkeerd en gaan de poppen aan het dansen…

Het verhaal leest als een trein, maar bevat wel wat misleiding als je de covertekst leest. Maar dat ontdek je vanzelf als je het boek leest. Het verhaal zat helemaal anders in elkaar dan ik dacht (toch zeker de ontknoping) en ik heb het hier en daar nog eens opnieuw onder de loep moeten nemen. De spanning voel je doorheen elke pagina en je ziet de groep zo uiteen vallen. Bepaalde acties van enkele personages zijn wat vreemd en misschien niet zo doordacht, maar dat terzijde. Het hoge noorden was een aangename ontdekking en ik hoop dus op meer verhalen van Ulf Kvensler. Voor Het hoge noorden geef ik 4 sterren.
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2023...

[Emily Walton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had potential, but didn’t do it for me. Repetitive but hard to put down. What ultimately took this from 3 stars to 2 was the ending. What was that?

[Julie (JuJu) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intense debut thriller! Very atmospheric!

🏔🏔🏔🏔
“The Couples Trip” is an anxiety-fueled psychological suspense and debut that follows two couples on a hiking trip through northern Sweden that should be a relaxing vacation.

A group of three friends enjoy a yearly hiking trip together away from the daily stress of life, to recharge and enjoy each other’s company. This year Milena has asked to bring her new boyfriend—Jacob—although Anna and Henrik don’t know him.

The trip heads off course quickly and it’s clear to see Jacob is not a good fit for their group. Once the couple is on their way, Anna and Henrik can see that Jacob has issues and Anna is concerned he might be lying about his past.

Anna and Milena have been BFFs for years and the story is told from their perspectives, which aren’t always consistent. The narratives also switch between past and present. We know one of them is an unreliable narrator. Which one? Or both? This story was a little repetitive and slow in some areas.

Sprinkled in are police interviews and I found those the most interesting!

The scenery sounds fabulous but too rugged for me. I’d love to see the sights but I’d need a helicopter to fly me between the different scenic spots. I’m deathly afraid of heights and relate to Henrik’s panic attacks! I’d smell awful by the end of the trip. I hate the cold so couldn’t possibly wash in frigid water when the outside temp was so low. I love my warm daily showers!

This was an atmospheric and suspenseful debut but the ending left me with more questions than answers. I don’t know how I feel about it or if I understand it correctly. This would be a great book club read. I’d love to discuss the ending with someone!

Thanks to the HTP Books and Hanover Square Press for providing an ARC of this book through Goodreads giveaways! All opinions are my own.

#TheCouplesTrip #UlfKvensler #htpbooks #Goodreadsgiveaway #HanoverSquarePress #netgalley #htpinfluencer #debut #justfinished #newrelease #debutthriller #SwedishDebut #psychologicalthriller #honestreview #thrillerfriendsunite #mysteryandthrills #thrillersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #igbookreels #thriller #suspense #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks #howluckyamI

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Typ det enda jag gillade med boken: fjällmiljöerna. Älskade att boken utspelade sig i Sarek! Och på vägen dit nämner de en massa ställen som jag känner igen. Har länge velat läsa en bok om fjällvandring så det va kul.

Tyvärr finns det många minus med den här boken. Här kommer en liten lista:
1. mycket tell istället för show. Jag kan inte mycket om sättet man analyserar böcker men show/tell tror jag att jag fattar. I den här boken får vi tell. Författaren berättar hela tiden vad Anna känner. Men det visas inte. Det skrivs rätt på näsan på läsaren. Gör att karaktären blir väldigt platt.
2. Jacob funkar som karaktär i början. Han är läskigt manipulativ och har drag som jag känner igen hos människor jag träffar. Tyvärr blir Jacobs drag så extrema att de känns löjliga efter ett tag och han känns som en seriefigur. Den mer subtila manipulationen var läskigare.
3. Huvudkaraktärerna agerar så ologiskt att hela berättelsen känns så forcerad. De glömmer kartan, de väljer att dela på sig för att leta efter kartan, efter en snöstorm väljer de att istället för att gå mot civilisation gå vidare mot vildmarken för att en av dem fick panikångest. Allt detta i Sarek. Och de ska tydligen vara jätterutinerade fjällvandrare. Det blir tramsigt.
4. Blir helt matt av alla upprepningar. Refererandet till den där snapsvisan. Kriminalinspektören som hela tiden säger ”jo” (är det det enda sättet att visa att någon ”kommer från Norrland”?). Meningen ”vilket ogästvänligt jävla ställe det här är”. Vet inte om författaren tänkte att det är snyggt stilistiskt grepp att upprepa samma sak gång på gång. Jag tycker mest det blir störigt.

Vill du läsa en bok som utspelar sig i fjällmiljö så är den här intressant. Om man kan bortse från saker som stör lite. Det är en bladvändare, vissa partier är spännandd (lite segt ibland). Men jag blev besviken på slutet som jag dels förutsåg från början (unreliable narrator) och att det liksom kändes slappt och halvfärdigt.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

WAY TOO MUCH TALK ABOUT MAPS AND DESTINATIONS….and all in unpronounceable Swedish. Not only could I not read or pronounce all the 500 destinations listed, they were completely unimportant to the story. It was like reading a book of maps. You would think that an editor would have wiped these out as being unimportant to the average reader. And these weren’t even real maps or places I could look up in Wikipedia. I would estimate that at least half the book was about maps, destinations, and descriptions of places on mountains I could not visualize because I am not a climber.
I consider this a huge flaw in the book.

When the actual story of the characters was being told, it got more interesting. But there was not that much to the story. Yes, we can wonder which narrator was reliable to create suspense. And wonder what was actually taking place with these odd people. Some of the odd story and character situations may be because this was translated to English and written by a Swedish author.

Sorry, but I usually don’t like Swedish books. I often find them annoying for one reason or a hundred. During the interviews, the author had to continually write SILENCE in between each question and answer as if it was a movie script. And the word YES is never used. Apparently people only mumble, MMMMM, when meaning YES in Sweden. Very annoying to read this a thousand times.

The most positive thing I can say concerns the last quarter. That’s when it FINALLY gets interesting and something actually happens. I found this section well-written and very exciting. It seemed as if the author’s brain finally thawed out after having spent 300 pages writing from the top of one of the freezing mountains in SERAK.

But alas, it didn’t end well. It ended with a paragraph that should have actually come from the middle of the book. It seemed as if both the editor and author forgot they were ending the story and went back to the middle.

Maybe this is the way the Swedes like their books. Their style is just not for me.

[Kayla • bookedblonde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was loving it until the ending 🫠

[Amanda Almén · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snopen av slutet. På ett dåligt sätt. Nej, jag och Årets bok-juryn är verkligen inte överens. Om något.

[Gabrielle Grosbety · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wins for amount of times “Mm” is said in different dialogue scenes to the point that it subtly grated on my nerves. I, however, much rather enjoyed Milena’s perspective than the main character Anna’s. There was a tenderness and a human vulnerability to Milena, even if she is a little meek and submissive at times, unlike Anna who remains mighty high on herself and quite unlikeable in moments.

The ending is inconclusive and every character unreliable to the point that the reader’s grasp on reality, too, is challenged. I thought that that was the most effective and original as truth, perspective, and someone’s general positionally is subjective and can constantly be called into question and interrogated.

Every year, Anna, her fiancé, Henrik, and good friend, Milena, go hiking deep in the mountains in Sweden, but this year it’s different. Milena wants her boyfriend, hiking and outdoors aficionado, Jacob, to come. Reluctantly, Anna and Henrik agree with some hesitation as there’s something strangely, eerily familiar about Jacob to Anna that she can’t quite put her finger on. The more that time goes on the more violent things and characters become. Jacob is an all-around wildcard and while the story dragged a bit midway through, I thought closer to the ending really had me. If you enjoy action and outdoors thrillers this one is a decent read and had me hanging my head in despair at the tragic outcome of one of the characters and what could’ve been.

[bokhyllaniskuggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

❥ Recension

Wow, vilken åktur! Eller vandring kanske jag ska säga. Det här är en bok som med korta kapitel, förstapersonsperspektiv och ett driv med skärpa berättar en makalös historia till en otroligt målande bakgrund. Vilka miljöer! Och som de beskrivs, under läsningen befann jag mig verkligen i Sarek med allt vad det tycks innebära. Det här var liksom inte bara spännande underhållning utan även en resa till ett otroligt landskap.

"Vilket ogästvänligt jävla ställe det här är."  😆

Språket är utmärkt och det trollar fram ett rått, smygande obehag som tillsammans med intressanta karaktärer skapar med bladvändare. Det var omöjligt för mig att sluta läsa. Vilken läsupplevelse detta var!

Sen kom ett slut med en upplösning som jag inte alls känner mig tillfreds med. Det hela skaver i mig och känns bara jävligt konstigt.

Boken får 🍏🍏🍏🍏🍎

[Britt-Marie Kullin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betyg: 5 av 5 - Den här boken, spänningsromanen Sarek, är Ulf Kvenslers bokdebut. Och det är verkligen en fantastisk debut. Författaren har tidigare skrivit film- och teveserie-manus och det märks, för när jag läste den här boken så såg jag den framför mig som en film. Jag ör övertygad om att det kommer att göras en film eller en teveserie av boken, för den passar perfekt som det. Men storyn passade även perfekt som en bok. Den är väldigt spännande, lättläst med skönt flyt i, trovärdiga karaktärer som man bryr sig om, fantastiska miljöbeskrivningar, och mycket, mycket bra. Rekommenderar absolut boken till alla som gillar psykologiska spänningsthrillers. (Den här boken är en av dom tolv nominerade böckerna i Årets Bok 2022).

[Angie Miles · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was sooooooo bad. part of it may have been issues i had with the translation but the writing was boring and i didnt give a shit about a single character, physically struggled to finish it and the ending was totally stupid. dont waste ur time lol

[Jennah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world is silent and cold, and white. Like oblivion. Like death.

This book has every element you hope for in a perfect psychological thriller: a group of complicated well developed characters; remote location in the Swedish mountaintops; and a feeling of unease and dread that quickly hits you a couple chapters in. It’s not a matter of IF something bad will happen, it’s WHEN.

This book was a solid 4 star book with a few minor flaws until the end. There’s open ended and then there’s the ending of this book which was really disappointing. After introducing incredibly compelling characters (that were a big reason why this book was so suspenseful), the author suddenly ended the story. I needed more closure.

There was a scene at about the 50% mark, in which Anna is desperately running thru a snowstorm and it was pure terror. The almost claustrophobic feeling in the wide open mountaintops in Sweden, far from society and with no way to call for help, yet beautiful and wondrous. I loved the setting.

Another small thing that bugged me. I was a Girl Scout many, many years ago,and the basic knowledge we were taught on survival in extreme temperatures was to share a sleeping bag. So I didn’t understand some situations in which the characters, all supposed outdoorsy people, who spent weeks in the outdoors wouldn’t know this.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

My main takeaway: I would die on a Swedish mountain in the winter.

Which is why I would never, ever embark upon a hiking trip like this. As the days of trudging and hunger and mishaps (because obviously there are some) pile on, you start questioning why people put themselves through this kind of thing. But then I coincidentally discovered this artist, who makes amazing ethereal videos about living in Sweden, including this one, which shows how breathtakingly beautiful it looks in the winter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_4lw.... The pleasure of listening to ice sing in a frozen landscape or hearing her bring her goats home with an ancient herding call can’t be overstated. She also has videos that show what the day-to-day life is like in the winter, when a window can burst and sweep in snow that piles up in the house and the hard work it takes to do simple chores. Watching these, you really get a great sense of the harsh beauty of the landscape as well as what it takes to survive.

I do wish that in a book like this, the author spent more time immersing readers in the landscape and observations of the natural world. You get a little, but not enough, nowhere near a sense of the otherworldly tundra of reality. And while I very much enjoy reading survival stories with foraging for food, etc., there's a repetitive practicality to most of the kind described here that feels neither punishing enough, nor satisfying enough in showing us the characters' ingenuity or will.

Which brings us to the writing. Plot-wise, I think the first 75% or so could have been punched up with more content and character development. I guessed fairly early on what was happening, but I think too much is saved for the final section to make the ending really stick. The major deaths also felt like they needed more time and depth, things just seem to suddenly go haywire without much emotional impact. After the major reveal, I think it's a little lacking in clarity as to what actually happened in some parts as well. This has good bones, especially for a crime debut, I just think a few more passes would have made it more convincing and more engrossing.

Audio Notes: Narrator Karen Cass does a nice job with both male and female voices, with enough of an even keel but expressing worry and tension where it was appropriate without going overboard. I liked listening to her pronounce Swedish words and names, too.

[Olena Brazhnyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ця книжка не лише про похід, хоча гірська атмосфера, детальність опису переходів, відчуттів, погоди, втоми, панічних атак, що межують з відчуттям ейфорії, все це створило неперевершене враження залучення у мандри з героями.

Водночас це доволі напружений трилер, коли рівень підозр чи параної постійно зростає і з одного боку береш на віру усе, що каже автор, а з іншого починаєш часом сумніватись у непередвзятій оцінці подій.

Це історія про давню дружбу, про чужака серед своїх, про затамовані пристрасті, про біль втрати і про вчинки на адреналіні.

Читаючи, багато згадувала власний досвід походів, тому історія зрезонувала зі мною якнайкраще 🏔️

[Svilena Yaneva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.50 ⭐️ Лично за мен няма нещо по-ужасяващо от мисълта да съм някъде на хиляди километри разстояние от общността, заклещена в планината високо над безопасната земя, без телефон, с ограничени ресурси и изключително сурови условия - в капан с непознат, за когото подозирам, че е психопат. А+ за идеята, определено този тип трилъри са много по-страшни от всеки демон или паранормална активност, която мога да срещна в другите книги.

Хареса ми, но мнооого се двоумя между 3.50 и 3.75. Когато я почнах си мислех, че няма да успея да я прочета за един ден, но ето, че успях. Книгата беше интересна, ще се опитам максимално да споделя мнението си без да спойлвам, но все пак е възможно да издам нещо, така че… Оглеждайте се за ⚠️, с това емоджи ще предупреждавам за евентуални спойлери.

…🏔️

Определено първите 30-40% от книгата ми вървяха малко мудно. Някои от описанията в началото ми се струваха малко излишни и твърде подробни, от сорта на кухнята какви уреди имала и тем подобни. Като човек, който няма никакъв опит в изкачването на планини, някои от описанията относно самото предвижване и сцените ми се губеха на моменти. Имаше известна доза неловки диалози като например:

- Бла бла бла бла бла, бла бла бла, бла бла
- Мхм.
- Бла бла бла бла бла бла, бла бла бла, бла бла бла
- Факт.
- Бла бла бла бла, бла бла, бла бла бла, бла
- Мхм.

Финалът беше… Объркващ? Но не в добрия смисъл на думата. Просто нямаше никакъв смисъл, и не говоря за “обрата”, а за начина, по който завърши самата книга. Някак си просто последните 20 страници бяха НАПЪЛНО излишни, все едно автора ги е взел някъде от средата, забравил ги е, докато е писал останалото от книгата, и накрая вече се е сетил за тях, но понеже няма къде да ги вмести вече или не му се е занимавало, ги е турил най-накрая като някакъв вид епилог. Като се замисля малко по-задълбочено и си го обяснявам, че май авторът цели един вид да ни даде някакво съобщение от сорта на “ето от тук започна всичко, тази случка е променила траекторията на животите на главните герои”, поне така се опитвам да си го разтълкувам, но някак си не беше изпълнено както трябва, не беше на място. Както и да е, де, не е кой знае колко фатално.

⚠️ СПОЙЛЕР

В тази книга има така нареченият троуп “ненадежен
разказвач”. За това разбираме така към 70%-вата линия и макар да имах някакви малки съмнения за това - когато най-накрая това се разкри, бях впечатлена и ми хареса. Не мога да кажа, че начинът, по който беше загатнато и изпълнено е перфектен, но определено беше доста интересно и вълнуващо. Появиха се две гледни точки, и за момент наистина бях леко объркана и не знаех на кого от двата героя да вярвам. В края се изясняват нещата, но няколко страници така те държи в невидение, което е яко.

⚠️ СПОЙЛЕРЪТ ПРИКЛЮЧВА ТУК ⚠️

Определено имаше някои сцени в книгата, които ми носеха така доста напрежение и именно заради това давам такава висока оценка макар и да има неща, които определено не ми бяха по вкуса. Както казах в началото, самата идея да си на място далеч от цивилизацията, без някакъв начин да повикаш помощ, заклещен в компанията на човек, за когото имаш съмнения, че се опитва или ЩЕ ти навреди ако не намериш някакъв начин да се измъкнеш по-скоро - това за мен е ужасяващо. Определено като жена мога да си представя подобна ситуация като тази, в която главната героиня се намира и само при мисълта за това потрепервам 😃

Този тип сюжети са един от любимите ми.
Обратът беше интересен, но не толкова шокиращ, напомни ми на един филм, който гледах преди много години.
Плюс е, защото е един от любимите ми филми.
Минус е, защото ако и вие сте го гледали, бързо ще се досетите какъв е обратът. Аз се сетих, не бях на 100% сигурна, но беше вариант в главата ми и накрая се оказах права.

Заключението ми е: Страхотна книга, има някои други забележки, но самият сюжет, герои и т.н са измислени много добре. Имам някои въпроси, на които липсват отговори, но ми е чак такъв огромен проблем, вероятно е и аз да съм била невнимателна и да не съм разбрала, така че не го преписвам на книгата, а по-скоро на себе си.

Бих препоръчала тази книга на всеки, който иска да прочете нещо напрягащо и изпълнено с адреналин, една борба за оцеляване, която ще те накара да се замислиш и да се усъмниш във всичко, което знаеш. 😌

[Paraskevi Parissi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο Η ΕΚΔΡΟΜΗ με συνεπήρε από την πρώτη του σελίδα μέχρι τη τελευταία, αφήνοντας με μετέωρη να πετώ στους ουρανούς με τις σκέψεις μου, όταν έκλεισα το βιβλίο. Μου έκανε εντύπωση η άμεση γραφή του Κβένσλερ καθώς και η δημιουργία του σκηνικού που ξετυλίγεται η ιστορία του. Μέσα στη φύση, μέσα στο όμορφο, άγριο, επικίνδυνο και άπιαστο περιβάλλον του Εθνικού πάρκου Σάρεκ ανέπτυξε τη δύναμη του άγριου ανθρώπινου ενστίκτου επιβίωσης στις πιο αντίξοες, δύσκολες, απάνθρωπες συνθήκες. Στους πολέμους έχεις έναν αντίπαλο να αντιμετωπίσεις, στη φύση οφείλεις να έρθεις αντιμέτωπος με τις αντοχές σου και με όλες τις δυσμενείς συνθήκες που θα συναντήσεις. Στη φύση για να επιβιώσεις πρέπει να έχεις καλούς συμμάχους και φίλους στην παρέα σου ….. αν θέλεις να βγεις ζωντανός.
Η ΕΚΔΡΟΜΗ μου τράβηξε το ενδιαφέρον από την πρώτη στιγμή που την πήρα στα χέρια μου. Ήθελα να διαβάσω το βιβλίο κατευθείαν και έτσι και έγινε. Η επιβράβευση που πήρα ήταν πέρα από τις προσδοκίες μου. Η ανάγνωση ήταν εύκολη. Το δύσκολο ήταν ότι ο Κβένσλερ έπαιξε με το μυαλό μου. ΝΑΙ ανήκω στην κατηγορία των αναγνωστών που ο Κβένσλερ με κέρδισε σε καίρια σημεία στρατηγικής. Όσο και να προσπαθώ να διαβάζω τα βιβλία μου από μια άλλη οπτική γωνία, πιο παρατηρητική.. στο τέλος έχασα γιατί με απορρόφησε. Όμως χαμογέλασα, έμεινα μετέωρη με τις σκέψεις να πετούν σαν ταξιδιάρικα πουλιά που αναρωτιούνται αν το αποδεκτό γεγονός του τέλους ισχύει ή δεν μπορώ να το αποδεκτό και συνεχίζω να πετώ!!!! Το τέλος δεν είναι ξεκάθαρο φαινομενικά αν δεν θέλεις να αποδεχτείς την μια πραγματικότητα του νομίσματος του Κβένσλερ…… και εδώ θα γίνει μεγάλη συζήτηση με τους αναγνώστες! Με εξιτάρουν αυτά τα βιβλία που τελειώνουν με μη σαφή τρόπο αν και θα ήθελα ομολογίες και τιμωρίες.
Με κέρδισε η ιστορία του με ανατροπές που δεν είχα φανταστεί. Ημουν και εγώ εκεί, ήμουν δίπλα στην ηρωίδα του και πάλεψα μαζί της αντιμέτωπη με τα άγρια θηρία της φύσης αλλά με πλάνεψε. Ξέρετε με ξεγέλασε ο δημιουργός. Με ξεγέλασε, γιατί ταυτίστηκα με τον κεντρικό του ήρωα , ταυτίστηκα τόσο πολύ με τους πόνους του, τις σκέψεις του, με τους εσωτερικούς μονολόγους του. Οι σκέψεις αυτές και οι αναζητήσεις του είναι που προχωρούν την αφήγηση συνέχεια με ένα σταθερά αυξανόμενο ρυθμό, που η ροή της δεν σε αφήνει να αφήσεις το βιβλίο από τη διακόσια είκοσι δύο σελίδα και έπειτα. Είναι οι στιγμές που κλιμακώνεται το έργο σε τέτοιο βαθμό που ο τρόμος ζωγραφίζεται στον ήρωα και σε εσένα. Ο συνδυασμός της ανθρώπινης επιθετικότητας στο σκηνικό που έχει δημιουργήσει μέσα στη φύση είναι πρωτόγνωρος για κάποιον που δεν έχει κάνει ορειβασία ή πεζοπορία. Οι άνθρωποι που ασχολούνται με την συγκεκριμένη δραστηριότητα είναι πιο ειδικοί, εμείς είμαστε απλώς φανταστικοί επισκέπτες. Είμαστε προσκεκλημένοι σε ένα έργο τεσσάρων διαφορετικών ηρώων, καθόμαστε αναπαυτικά στον καναπέ μας παρακολουθώντας την ΕΚΔΡΟΜΗ. Σκηνοθετούμαι το σενάριο και ταυτιζόμαστε με τα χαρακτηριστικά του κεντρικού ήρωα. Φτιάχνουμε τις εικόνες συνεπαρμένοι από την γραφή του αφηγητή που όσο πιο κινηματογραφική είναι τόσο εμείς εισχωρούμε πιο βαθιά στην ιστορία. Γευόμαστε όλων των ειδών συγκρούσεων που υπάρχουν και στο τέλος θέλουμε λύτρωση. Αναζητούμε τη λύτρωση για τον ήρωα και για εμάς ώστε να απεγκλωβιστούμε από τις συγκεκριμένες συνθήκες.
Ο Κβένσλερ καταφέρνει αυτό που λατρεύω εν τέλει. Ένα βιβλίο με κινηματογραφική γραφή, με σταθερή ροή , με τρισδιάστατη ανάπτυξη χαρακτήρων σε ένα συγκεκριμένο περιβάλλον που η δημιουργία της πλοκής σε παρασέρνει σε μια ιστορία που είσαι και εσύ μέρος της . Από τα καλύτερα ψυχολογικά θρίλερ που διάβασα αν και θα ήθελα να μην τελειώσει ….. ανυπομονώ για το επόμενο του βήμα!!! Σίγουρα αυτό το βιβλίο θα μπορούσε να έχει και συνέχεια….. Από τις αυστηρές βουνοκορφές της βόρειας Σουηδίας…..

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dra mig baklänges vad den här boken inte var för mig.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

This started off well but got tedious very quickly. The ending killed it for me.

[alex_buchgeplauder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein Ausflug mit Stärken und Schwächen
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Das Buch lässt mich zwiegespalten zurück. Zunächst hat mir DER AUSFLUG wirklich gut gefallen. Die Stimmung ist aber im Verlauf der Handlung gekippt.
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Darum geht’s: Jedes Jahr fahren Anna, ihr Verlobter Henrik und ihre beste Freundin Milena zum Wandern in die wilde Natur Nordschwedens. Diesmal ist Milenas neuer Freund Jacob mit von der Partie. Das verändert die gewohnte Gruppendynamik. Bald liegen die Nerven blank, es gibt Vorwürfe und Geheimnisse kommen ans Licht.
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Was mich direkt für das Buch eingenommen hat, ist die beeindruckende Naturkulisse, die für eine ganz besondere Atmosphäre sorgt. Auch der Schreibstil hat mich schnell in die Geschichte reingezogen und mitgerissen. Der Spannungsaufbau zu Beginn ist gekonnt. Vor meinen Augen ist ein Kinofilm abgelaufen, den ich mir bis zur Hälfte auch sehr gerne angesehen habe. Dann ging der Story aber leider die Luft aus. Plötzlich hatte ich den Eindruck, so etwas schon x-Mal gelesen oder gesehen zu haben. Das allein  wäre gar nicht schlimm, wenn die Geschichte mich packt. Hier hat es sich aber dann auf einmal so dermaßen gezogen, dass für mich die Spannung auf der Strecke geblieben ist. 
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Bei der Handlung, die sich aus der rückblickenden Beschreibung der Wanderung und kurzen Vernehmungsprotokollen in der Gegenwart zusammensetzt, steht Anna eindeutig im Mittelpunkt. Ob sie eine verlässliche Protagonistin ist, ist die große Frage. Gerne hätte ich noch mehr über Gefühle und Sichtweisen der anderen Personen erfahren und darüber Spannung generiert. Leider sind die Mitwanderer aber keine gleichberechtigten Handlungsträger. Dadurch hat mir einfach was gefehlt, was sich negativ auf mein Interesse am Geschehen ausgewirkt hat. Erst der überraschende Perspektivwechsel gegen Ende hat mich wieder aufgeschreckt, kam da aber schon zu spät, um das leider irgendwie nervige Anna-Solo noch wettmachen zu können. Zumal mir auch der Schluss nicht gefallen hat. Es ist ein bisschen, als hätte der Autor den Schreibprozess einfach eingestellt. Für mich leider alles andere als zufriedenstellend.
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Fazit: Schreibstil und Setting hinterlassen einen positiven Eindruck. Bis zur Hälfte fand ich das Buch richtig gut. Dann wurde die Handlung langatmig und die Charaktere nervig. Es kommt mir vor, als hätte der Autor zuviel Energie in den Anfang gesteckt, woraufhin ihm auf die Distanz dann die Puste ausgegangen ist.

[Another Read by Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Couples Trip started off with a BANG 💥...then fell short for me , I was so excited and ended up slightly disappointed.

Meet Anna and Henrick , who have been married 10 years, and it seems as though their marriage may be losing its light . They decide to embark on their annual hiking trip with Anna's best friend Milena , ...but there is a slight change of plans when Milena decides to bring her new boyfriend Jakob along who happens to be a very experienced hiker . So it was a prefect plan , until Jakob decides to alter the route and change the plan entirely, and then things spiral quickly and they all realize this was a BIG mistake ... or was it ???

Things escalate quickly on the mountains, and you find yourself gasping for air several times at the climatic and thrilling moments when things go terribly wrong , your frightened for their safety , will they make it back alive ??

Unfortunately the book will not be memorable for me and the ending leaves you a bit to your own imagination and fell very flat for me ,I was really hoping for a jaw dropping ending , which just did not happen for me !

Don't let my review stop you from reading this international Best Seller , its just my thoughts on how it made me feel after reading it !

[Katie T · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very boring. I read it to get to the “crazy” ending. I don’t get it. What was so shocking? Did I space out and miss something? Please leave spoiler comments explaining what the big to do about the ending was!

[Felicia Aveklew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Läste ut denna på ca 1,5 dag, väldigt enkel bok.
Mycket spänning, korta sköna kapitel och man fångades in i sättet Ulf skrev på.

Gillade även slutet då berättelsen tig en annan vändning… mycket bra semesterbok! 🌴

[Mickaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eftersom denna boken finns översätt på både svenska och engelska kommer denna recensionen vara på båda språken🫶🏼 ~~~~
So because this book is available in both Swedish and English, is this review going to be written in both languages🫶🏼

Svenska:

I början så tror man att Jacob är psykopaten men det visar sig i slutet att det i verkliga fall är Anna som är instabil och har inbillat sig det som verkligen hände på Milena, Henrik, Jacob och Annas intressanta resa genom Sarek.

Det är uppenbart att Jacob har aggressionsproblem och jag tror på allt Anna säger om honom, tills hon börjar hysteriskt skratta när hennes pojkvän Henrik svimmar av hans höjdrädsla när de ska klättra ner för ett berg. Då börjar jag märka att något inte stämmer med Anna. Sedan också hur hon kan säga att hon ska sluta bry sig om sin kompis och pojkvän bara pågrund av att de inte håller med henne i hennes tankar om Jacob.

Milena verkar vara rädd och inte kunna säga ifrån när Jacob får sina utbrott, men alla reagerar olika i sånna situationer. Vissa fryser och får inte fram varken rörelse eller ord och vissa säger ifrån eller står upp för sig själv. Nu i efterhand så kan jag inte vara säker på om alla gånger Jacob har tappat det verkligen stämmer så som Anna berättat, eller om hon bara har lagt på mer eld på situationerna för att få Jacob att framstå som galen och instabil.
Milena är mycket påverkad av Jacob enligt Anna men när man får höra allt från Milenas perspektiv så verkar hon inte så värst influerad och rädd som Anna har fått det att framstå som.

Jag gillade verkligen inte Henrik i början, jag tyckte han var otroligt tråkig minns jag. Jag tror det var pågrund av hur han pratade med Anna, han verkade knappt ens vara intresserad och svara kortfattat. Jag insåg mot slutet att han förmodligen tänker mer i huvudet än vad han säger, och att han kanske inte kände sig bekväm med att säga vad han tyckte och kände till Anna.

Det är också ganska självklart att Henrik och Milena passar ihop och att de egentligen skulle vara dom två tillsammans istället för han och Anna. Henrik pratar mycket mer med Milena om sina känslor och det känns bara som att Anna blir sur på Henrik och nästan ”skiter” i hans känslor och inte pratar med honom.

Jag gillade verkligen denna boken! Jag älskar twister i storyn och att man tror man vet vad som hänt men sedan visas det något helt annat och man tänka om lite!Så var denna boken för mig. Man fick uppleva hela historian genom Annas ögon och tankar, men sedan hör du Milenas perspektiv som kommer ihåg hela historian väldigt annorlunda….👀

Så bra verkligen! Helt klart en rekommendation!

Tack för att du har läst min recension🤍

English:

In the beginning you think that Jacob is the psychopath but in the end it turns out to be Anna who is the one who is unstable and has imagined everything that really happened during Milena, Henrik, Jacob and Annas interesting trip through Sarek.

It’s obvious that Jacob has some sort of aggression problems. I believe everything Anna says about him, until she starts to laugh hysterically about that her boyfriend faints due to his fear of heights when they have to climb down a mountain. That’s when I feel that something doesn’t feel right with Anna. And also how she can say that she needs to stop caring about her friend and boyfriend just because they don’t feel the same way towards Jacob.

Milena seems to be scared of Jacob and his outbursts and seems to not be able to speak up against him, but everyone reacts differently in those situations. Some people freeze and can’t move a muscle and can’t say a word, some people stand up and speak up for themselves. Now afterwards I can’t know for sure if every outburst from Jacob was as Anna said or if she added more fuel to make Jacob seem crazy and unstable.
Milena is very affected by Jacob according to Anna, but when you hear the story from Milena she doesn’t seem to be as influenced and scared of Jacob as Anna made it appear like.

I really didn’t like Henrik in the beginning, I remember thinking that he was incredibly boring. I think it’s because of the way he spoke to Anna, he doesn’t seem to be very interested when talking to her and was very brief in his answers. I realized towards the end that maybe he thinks more than he speaks, or maybe he doesn’t feel comfortable enough with Anna to speak about his thoughts and feelings with her.

It is also very obvious that Henrik and Milena is more suited for each other, and are ment to be together instead of him and Anna. Henrik is talking much more with Milena about his feelings, and it feels like Anna is just getting mad at Henrik and almost ”ignoring” his feelings and avoids talking to him.

I really really liked this book! I love twists in stories and that you think you know what happened but then something reveals that changes the viewpoint of the story so you almost have to go back again! That’s how this story was for me. You get to experience the whole story through Anna’s eyes and thoughts, but then you hear from Milenas point of view and she remembers the whole thing totally different….👀

So good! Totally recomendable! 4,5/5⭐️

Thank you for reading my review🤍

[Jenna Vee 🌙 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand the whole concept of there’s three sides to every story. Your side, my side, and the truth but I very much would’ve liked for this book to end with the truth of what the hell happened. I’m not really a draw your own conclusion type of reader or decide whose truth you believe.